A Cumbrian housing developer has revealed plans for its first net-zero carbon emitting development.
Sixteen houses fully powered by renewable sources and smart technology will be built in Calthwaite, near Penrith, by Genesis Homes as part of its EcoGen project.
Nicky Gordon, managing director of Genesis Homes, said: “We are endeavouring to be the best we possibly can in our practices and this development underlines our serious commitment to tackling the climate crisis.
“We are leading the way in the sustainable house building sector because we feel passionate about reducing our impact on the environment, and we are encouraging our customers to join us on this journey.
“For us, this is just the starting point in our commitment to sustainable living and we are excited to see how this pioneering project will shape our long-term business plan.
“By building these homes, we are removing harmful carbon emissions from households while significantly reducing energy costs for the homeowner so we regard this development as a win-win situation.”
The company said by introducing the greener homes, more than 850 tonnes of carbon emissions will be saved over 10 years, compared to a traditional ‘grid and gas’ development of the same size.
Every net zero emitting home will have:
- Solar photovoltaic panels on the roof that will obtain energy from daylight to power the home;
- A solar assisted heat pump, powered by a thermodynamic panel, which provides hot water storage for the dwelling;
- A small, powerful battery unit that will be charged predominantly from the electricity grid, using 100% green tariff energy, during off peak, low cost hours;
- Infrared heating panels which convert electricity into radiant heating will be installed in each room;
- Electric vehicle charging points will be installed to encourage home buyers to switch to more environmentally friendly modes of transport;
- A smart home system managed through an integrated app which allows the management of all parts of the house technology, from managing the multiple thermostats, to battery and energy usage, and scheduling of vehicle charging;
Since the company was formed five years ago, Genesis Homes said it had introduced energy efficient features to all its homes, including energy efficient LED lighting, smart energy meters, dual flush toilets, water shaving shower heads, A-rated boilers and appliances.
Nicky added: “This is an ongoing project and the net-zero emitting homes at Calthwaite are a line in the sand in our commitment to our sustainability agenda.
“We are now working on a considerable study into the embodied carbons in our construction and expect to make further improvements to how we build in the coming months.
“We see the EcoGen project as an opportunity to create an emphasis on wellbeing, and will be looking to adapt our development objectives further in the future to combine our energy efficiency home specification with wider emphasis on biodiversity features.
“It’s such an exciting and progressive time in the business to make a real change in the housing landscape.”
The sustainable homes in Calthwaite are now on the market with construction under way, with the first home expected to be completed in the summer.
